


Solar, Lunar

by Tsukimei



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, The Author Regrets Nothing, multiple references to the legend of icarus, the author may slightly regret the sore lack of actual edward appearances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-10
Updated: 2015-07-10
Packaged: 2018-04-08 14:46:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4309278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsukimei/pseuds/Tsukimei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, Alphonse thinks about how impossible his brother is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Solar, Lunar

His brother is like the sun. The brightest star in the sky, beautiful to see, dangerous to touch, and painful to look too closely at its brilliance. His brother is, without any doubt in Alphonse's mind, the one person who can draw people in while burning them.

Melting their wax wings, through no fault of his own.

He thinks that if his brother knew how inspiring and soul crushing he was simultaneously, he would pitch a fit. Alphonse knows his brother doesn't mean to be this way, he simply is. He inspires by expecting people to match up to his own standards, and crushes hopes because his standards are impossible to meet, except for himself. He doesn't expect the same genius he possesses or the same physical ability, but he expects the same stubbornness that let him go though automail surgery and post-operation recovery in a single year, the same single-minded passion that lets him accomplish what might be considered impossible, and the same honesty that had him pointing a spear at the Fuhrer. The worst thing about the expectations is that he doesn't even realize he has them, which gives people all the more reason to quietly despair when they can't match up.

The thing is, sometimes he _thinks_ others have met his standards. Alphonse, first and foremost, tends to find himself on a pedestal made of brotherly love, devotion, and enough guilt to drown a lesser man. He tries to stay off of it, because eventually it will crash down on its own, but no matter how hard he tries, his brother insists on seeing him as faultless. He's not the only one on a pedestal, though. Winry, Granny Pinako, and Teacher all have their own that they may or may not be aware of. Hawkeye and the rest of Colonel Mustang's subordinates have their own small pedestals as well. Colonel Mustang's pedestal is nearly as large as Alphonse's. It isn't apparent to people who don't understand Edward, but the irreverent way he calls the Colonel "Bastard" while still listening to him belies a greater respect than is readily apparent.

His brother is like the sun, because even through melting wings, burned eyes, and aching bones he is brilliant. He thinks Alphonse has the same brilliance, but it's not true. The only thing his brother can't (won't) understand despite serious thought is the difference between _equal_ and _equivalent_. It is the only knowledge Alphonse holds that his brother does not, though he occasionally wishes he didn't because of what it implies (his wings are melting). His brother sees "equivalent" and thinks "equal," he doesn't understand how his leg can be worth their mother's (not mother's) life and his arm Alphonse's soul. But "equality" doesn't mean "equivalence," and the _potential_ in his leg far outweighs his mother's life. Wonderful mother she may have been, but she was not an alchemist and she would likely have never left Resembool. As for Alphonse's soul, he is not blind to the fact that without the knowledge of the Gate his brother has always been the better alchemist, and the Gate only evens the gap between them slightly. In addition, Alphonse usually goes wherever his brother does, and without him might've been content to stay with the Rockbells. His brother was made for amazing things, has more potential in one hand than most do in their entire body, and when Alphonse thinks about it he is flattered that his soul has as much potential as his brother's arm.

He thinks that maybe, if his brother is the sun, Alphonse is the moon. He's not Icarus, who gets burned for trying to reach his brother, but the other stars are too far away for that to be what he is. So he thinks he is the moon: a little closer to Earth, shining a little softer, and no burning if someone gets too close. Only able to shine because of the sun. A reflection, flawed and not as majestic, but shining still.

Yes.

His brother is the sun, and Alphonse is the moon.


End file.
